7 Movies to Watch for Cinco de Mayo in 2023

Roma, which was written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, was inspired by his life growing up in Mexico. The story about a Mixteca maid and the wealthy family she works for in the Colonia Roma neighborhood of Mexico City was shot entirely in the city and is a powerful story that has been universally lauded for its emotional performances and its story. It’s also the first Mexican film to win Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars, where Cuarón also won Best Director.

Where to stream Roma

Coco is Pixar’s foray into Mexican culture, and though it celebrates the Dia de Muertos and not Cinco de Mayo, it’s a loving and beautiful representation of Mexican culture. The film tells the story of a young boy named Miguel who’s determined to become a guitar player despite his family having banished music from their house. The talented, all-Latino cast includes Anthony Gonzalez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt and Edward James Olmos.

Where to stream Coco

1992’s Like Water For Chocolate is a magical realism film based on the novel by Mexican writer Laura Esquivel. The film celebrates Mexican culture and especially food traditions through the story of Tita (Lumi Cavazos), a woman forbidden to marry who is instead forced to care for her mother until she dies. Set amid the Mexican Revolution, the film blends fantasy, romance and politics and earned ten Ariel Awards, the Mexican equivalent of the Oscars.

Where to stream Like Water For Chocolate

Y tu mamå también co-stars Mexican actors Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal as two friends who take a road trip to the coast of Mexico with an older woman (Maribel Verdú). The film features plenty of sex scenes between the three main cast members, but it’s primarily a coming of age story about two young men figuring their lives out. The film was written by Alfonso and Carlos Cuarón.

Where to stream Y tu mamá también

There are several films that depict the life of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, including Viva Zapata!, the 1952 film starring Marlon Brando as the title character, and 2004’s Zapata: el sueño del heroe (The Dream of a Hero), directed by Alfonso Arau and stacked with Mexican actors. Both films tell the story of the rise of Zapata, who led the Mexican revolution and fought for land reforms among peasants and farmers. We’re including both here because Zapata: el sueño del heroe, though currently unavailable to stream, is worth a watch. Viva Zapata!, while considered a classic thanks to direction from Elia Kazan and a script from John Steinbeck, is a mostly whitewashed account of Zapata’s rise, though Mexican-American actor Anthony Quinn co-starred (and won an Oscar for his role) as Eufemio Zapata.

Where to stream Viva Zapata!

Jimmy Smits stars in My Family (also referred to as Mi Familia), the 1995 film about three generations of Mexican-Americans whose family arrived in Los Angeles from Mexico in the 1930s. Though the film primarily depicts the immigrant experience and assimilation between Mexican and American cultures, it features a mostly Latino cast, including an uncredited young Jennifer Lopez, Edward James Olmos and Esai Morales, and much of it was shot on location in Mexico.

Where to watch My Family

Though there are other battles in Mexican military history that are more famous and perhaps even more important, you might as well capitalize on the popularity of Cinco de Mayo by making a movie about it, right? Cinco De Mayo: La Batalla is a war film that depicts what happened during the Battle of Puebla in 1862 and leans heavily into the battle scenes and the heroic actions of General Ignacio Zaragoza against the army of Napoleon III.

Where to Stream Cinco de Mayo: La Batalla